A tribal man ate a snake alive after it bit him on Saturday evening while he was working at Harmu village in Lohardaga district, 60 km west of Ranchi, according to local media reports.

A tribal youth in Jharkhand reportedly ate a venomous snake alive after it bit him while he was working in his field at Harmu village in Lohardaga district, 60km west of the state capital.

He was admitted to a hospital and is reported to be stable.

The snake bit Surendra Oraon (30) while he was working in his field at Harmu village under Sadar police station in Lohardga. Instead of panicking, he picked up the snake and devoured it alive, barring its head.

However, his condition deteriorated and he went home. He told his family members about the incident and was rushed to the district hospital.

Doctors attended to him and discharged him on Saturday morning.

Dr Shailesh Kumar, who treated Oraon, said, “We discharged him this morning as he was perfectly normal after night-long care.”

Oraon said he had heard of people eating snakes after being bitten as it reportedly helps save the lives of the victims.

Tribal folks in Jharkhand’s Kolhan believe that eating bats can save them from brain strokes while some believe that eating bears saves them from malaria. Some tribes also eat crab in the belief that it improves libido.

A resident of the village said the area had witnessed three to four such incidents and the victims have all lived to tell the tale.